A Stolen Heart
by Mistrus
Summary: Her curly hair was soaked through and the cuts and bruises on her face and bare arms were a startling contrast to her unnaturally pale skin. She said she needed a place to hide for a bit, the life debt wouldn't allow him to turn her away... Read for more!


One shot time! lol I know, I know. I'm a terrible person who doesn't update and disappears for long periods of time with no words as to when she is coming back. BUUUUUTTTTT! I have been writting a ton of fanfics for y'all. I have two that are done right now but I'm finishing up all these pesky little one shots first before I dive into the chaptered stories.

**Disclaimer**- I own nothing, yada, yada, yada... ON WITH THE SHOW!

Hope you enjoy!

* * *

**A Stolen Heart**

**By Mistrus**

Of course he was bitter. Of course he was a cold bastard. It had been James and Lily. James had taken Lily from him but as the years passed he had felt that betrayal fade slightly. Lily was a fantasy, a mere dream.

After the war ended he had been fine to just die in that miserable shack. Instead the ever heroic Hermione Granger had to save him. Then, to top it off, the ever _forgiving_ Harry Potter made it so he wouldn't be able to rot in prison.

So, he lived in misery in Spinner's End, until she had managed to find him once more. She had been mumbling incoherently about people following her, death threats, and being hunted. Of course it had been raining and she had looked decidedly pathetic. Her curly hair was soaked through and the cuts and bruises on her face and bare arms were a startling contrast to her unnaturally pale skin. She said she needed a place to hide for a bit, the life debt wouldn't allow him to turn her away. And so she came into his life.

He had barely managed to get her to eat, let alone talk. It had taken a few days but she had finally become coherent. First she had thanked him, and then had apologized for disturbing his peace and quiet. Her brown eyes were misty and she still had the residuals of a fever. Then she had launched herself at him and proceeded to sob into his chest. It had taken him nearly ten minutes to calm the witch down. It turns out her boyfriend Ronald wasn't as nice as she had thought. Apparently he had taken Hermione into _the _Slytherin Cave, Malfoy Manor, for a little fun. That fun being repeatedly tortured and beaten. After being passed around several times Ms. Granger managed to escape and came to the one place she knew no one would ever look. To him.

Now, he knew her logic hadn't failed her. No one in the wizarding world would ever look for her there, but it would have been easier for her to go muggle and completely disappear. She on the other hand disagreed. _'That's exactly what they would think. That's why I needed to stay. If I had left they would go after my family. Innocent muggles would be hurt and it would be my fault._' He grudgingly agreed.

* * *

Their life fell into a pattern; she would get up early from a nightmare and cook breakfast. He would emerge from his study sometime later with red eyes, a splitting headache and rumpled clothes. She would wordlessly pass him a hangover potion which he would drink in one swallow before sitting at the table. Then, they would eat.

Severus usually used this time to watch her, she was skittish and jumpy. She refused to go anywhere near an uncovered window or any fireplace. Loud noises usually startled her to near tears and she had nightmares every single night- Severus had cut her off of Dreamless Sleep two weeks into her stay. Too much of the potion would kill her and from judging from how much she was taking that wasn't long coming- She didn't make eye contact often and was fidgety. Her skin was pale and she looked gaunt. Not that she wasn't eating, no, Severus made sure she ate at every meal. He made sure that she finished everything she dished herself up.

Usually after breakfast Severus would go have a shower and change while Hermione would do the dishes. Hermione would hurry to the library and Severus to his lab. They would only see each other again at lunch. Hermione would usually skitter around the kitchen preparing lunch and send glances at Severus seemingly to reassure herself he was still there. Then she would fill up two plates and place one in front of Severus before sitting herself down. The same schedule was followed to supper. Hermione in the library, Severus in his lab, only meeting for the evening meal. Only this time Severus would do the dishes after supper was prepared and eaten.

The first time he did it Hermione protested but he pinned her with a hawkish glare. '_You have made all the meals today. The least I can do is wash the supper dishes_.' He had then abruptly turned around and washed the dishes. After that they would bid one another goodnight and retire to the respective rooms. Hermione to the guest room, where she would wake only a few short hours later, covered in sweat and her legs tangled in the sheets. Severus would retire to his study, where he would stare at the fire and remember the betrayal, the pain, the service to his masters and he would get sloshed on one-malt Firewhiskey. Trying to make the pain fade and go away.

* * *

The followed this pattern for close to a month before something about the frightened girl started to annoy him.

Her constant glances to make sure he was still there.

"Stop that, you insufferable little twit! I'm still here and I probably will be till the day I die." His violent outburst caused her to jump and drop the stack of plates she was holding on the floor, where they shattered sending pieces of sharp glass across the floor. "And stop with the jumping! You are perfectly safe here, there is no need to jump and startle at _every single _loud noise you hear." She had spun around and looked at him with wide brown eyes that seemed to be slowly filling with tears. She was shocked to say the least. Severus rubbed his eyes in frustration as the tears spilled over onto her cheeks.

"I'm sorry." Her small shaking voice made him sigh. It was tiny tone that one might expect of an abused house elf. Her shoulders were slumped and she was trying to make herself look as small as she sounded. Severus looked at her tear stained face and waved his wand. The broken plates pulled themselves together and jumped onto the counter.

"Don't be sorry, I just lost my temper. There is no need to cry, Ms. Granger. Come and sit down, we have to talk about.. about_ this_." He watched as she took baby steps towards the table. She slowly slid into her chair and looked at her lap. Severus let a hiss of air escape. "Ms. Granger, need I remind you that you are perfectly safe here. This Life Debt won't let me hurt you or allow me to stand back while someone else hurts you. My wards are unbreakable and the only people who are allowed in are you and me. People can only come in with my permission, which isn't given lightly. And Ms. Granger I am not about to disappear into thin air, so you can stop checking." The curly haired witch wiped her eyes and gave a small smile.

"It's just that I can't... _comprehend_ the feeling of being _safe_. I was stuck in the manor for three weeks. They would let me run away and try to escape before they 'hunted' me. So many times I nearly had it to escape but the house would always give me away, loud noises were its specialty. Sudden noises aren't my friend, Mr. Snape." She gave a weak shrug and Severus just nodded. He had been in that situation when he came home for the summers. Don't let anyone know where you were, if you did, it usually ended up in pain. Her brown eyes met his. "Do you think, sir, that you could teach me?" He raised a lone eyebrow.

"Pardon me? Teach you _what_ exactly?" He grasped his cup and took a drink of the firewhiskey that lay within. She blushed slightly and her eyes fell back to her hands.

"To move like you do. To move silently and in a way that people don't see you because they can't hear you. Teach me to fight physically, so that I won't be defenseless in a situation like that again. Teach me how to be undetectable." Hermione looked at him and his expression became thoughtful.

"If I do this, will you stop staring at me as if I am to disappear and stop jumping at any noise that you hear?" He looked at her with a raised eyebrow and she gave rather non-committal shrug.

"I'll try my best." It was with those words, the pattern changed.

* * *

Hermione got up from her bed and ran her hand through her tangled hair. Three hours of sleep she had managed tonight. Three was better than one she had been getting since the beginning of the week. Hermione looked around the dark room and headed to the bathroom for a shower. As usual she tried to wash away the remnants of the nightmare but the images would stay firmly in her mind. It didn't help that her body was nearly as scarred as her mind.

Crisscrossing scars covered her back from the lashings she was given. Hermione wiped the wash cloth over a large pink scar that lay across her shoulder just touching her collar bone. That scar was from the last time they had hunted her. It had been Malfoy's knife but it had been wielded by Ronald Weasley. He had stabbed it into her shoulder and drug the blade through her skin and muscle with an ease that left Hermione blinded by pain. She had nearly died that night but because the two were not willing to let go of their toy just yet, they had cast several sloppy healing spells at the shoulder to stem the bleeding. She escaped shortly after that, knowing if she didn't, she would die.

With a shake of her head she stepped out of the small shower and wrapped her bathrobe around her small form. She moved to her bedroom with wary eyes, as soon as she was inside, she quickly locked the door and let out a sigh of relief. She dressed with marvelous efficiency and headed down the stairs to the kitchen where she set about to making the breakfast for that morning. After a few minutes she was aware that Snape had entered the room. She wordlessly opened the cupboard above her head and grasped the familiar vial of Hangover potion. She stretched her hand out waiting for him to take it.

"I won't be needing that this morning." At his smooth voice Hermione turned her head from the eggs to look at him. His robes were impeccable and his hair was slightly damp as if he had a shower, his face was clean shaven and Hermione raised an eyebrow at his appearance before placing the vial back in the cupboard. She quickly pulled the pan of bacon off the burner and dished them both up.

"Did you have a good sleep?" Hermione glanced quickly at her former potions professor he gave a shrug and looked at her. His black eyes slightly narrowed, Hermione blushed and looked at her hands.

"As well as any other I suppose." He picked up his fork. "Although I must say not waking up to a splitting headache was nice." Hermione watched as he summoned a cup of tea with his wand. She sighed wistfully looking at the slender piece of wood. As if sensing her unwavering gaze on his wand Severus cleared his throat. Hermione's gaze jerked to his face.

"Where is yours?" He wiggled the wand slightly looking at her with slightly raised eyebrows. Her head rested on her hand and she shrugged.

"They snapped it and burned the pieces. Although I must say the fire flared up with a pretty purple color when it reached the unicorn hair." Hermione smiled slightly at the memory and Snape grimaced.

"There is something wrong with you." He looked at the tired witch and she glanced up at him. "Mentally." She chuckled. The sound surprised him slightly; it was the first time she had even shown amusement since appearing on his doorstep a little over a month ago.

"I know. People have been telling me I'm mental for years. I'm mental, dotty, loony, off my rocker, a few potpuffs short of a litter." She smiled. "I'll let you in on a secret." She leaned forward as if to tell some important information and one of Severus' eyebrows rose.

"I think all the best people are." She chuckled once more before eating her eggs and bacon. Severus watched her with something akin to confusion. He silently ate his breakfast, watching her eat. She pushed her plate away with a sigh. It was still half full so Severus reached over and pushed it back in front of her.

"I'm_ full_." Her face was set in a frown as she looked at the plate.

"_You_ dished it up. So,_ you_ need to eat _all_ of it." His tone was low and Hermione glared at her plate with defiance.

"I'm _not_ hungry." Her thin arms folded across her chest and she stuck her bottom lip out slightly.

"Being petulant doesn't suit you. Finish your breakfast. You were up at three this morning and you haven't eaten anything since you got up. Eat it or I _will_ make you." His silky voice had a warning undertone that Hermione surprisingly ignored. Her frown deepened and her arms crossed tighter over her chest. Severus slowly set down his fork down on his empty plate with a faint clink. Hermione didn't move but she watched him with narrowed eyes. She wasn't making eye contact but Severus waited to see if she would give in and finish eating. When she stayed sitting with her arms across her chest, Severus stood up, walked around the table and leaned over her shoulder. Her wild curls brushed his face and he scowled.

"_Eat_." The word was hissed into her ear and the impertinent little witch shook her head.

"I'm. _Not_. Hungry." Her voice was almost as annoyed as his. With that he let out a frustrated sigh. His one arm went around her back and his hand grasped her shoulder and the other wrapped around her front so his right hand could grasp her delicate wrist. Putting the slightest bit of pull on her arm, she let her arms uncross.

"You have to eat. Food provides energy and energy helps keep you focused. Focus is the key to being undetectable. To being silent." The words were spoken into her ear. He let her shoulder go before reaching down with the same hand and placing the fork within her grasp. The hand on her wrist wrapped around her hand making her hold onto the fork. She was stiff like someone had cast a full body bind hex on her. He knew she was well aware of the cage he had created with his arms. He smirked slightly. "I will feed you if I have to." She remained unmoved and stiff. He let out a rather dark chuckle before tightening his arms and bodily picking her out of the chair and sitting down with her in his lap. She let out an outraged gasp at his actions and moved to get away. His grasp quickly slipped to her waist, where he held her tightly preventing her from escaping. She gave an indignant shriek while pulling at his arm, wanting him to let her go. Severus raised one dark eyebrow as she once more tried to get away.

"Let me go!" Her small fists pounded on his arm and he barely spared her a glance. She was a strong witch but Severus hadn't spent nearly half his life as a spy without earning a rather high tolerance for pain. And despite what his frame suggested, he was a built wizard. He didn't lean to the heavier boxer build but rather to the runner or swimmer's build. As far as he was concerned, the witch was giving a rather pathetic attempt at escaping. "Did you re-enforce your arm with a spell? I can't get free!" She strained once more before giving up and sitting on his lap rather sulkily.

"My appearance is deceptive. I do happen to have some muscle, Ms. Granger." He shot her a look. Even though she was sitting on his lap the witch wasn't taller than him. She was eye to eye with him. He snagged a piece of bacon from her plate and took a bite from it.

"Hey! That's mine!" She snatched the bacon from his hand with a rather affronted look. He raised an eyebrow.

"It's not yours. You didn't want to eat it. I will. So, it's mine." He took the piece of bacon back and she shot him a rather nasty look. Her face turned to the side and her arms crossed once more but she said nothing. Not wishing to cave into his demands or make herself appear weak in her position. Severus took another bite, watching her with veiled curiosity. She watched the lone strip of bacon with something akin to longing as he took another bite. A small smirk appeared on his face as he chewed. He held out the bacon strip and she stuck out her bottom lip ignoring it, her eyes closed. He brought the bacon strip up closer and tapped her pouting bottom lip with it. Her eyes snapped open and she narrowed them suspiciously at him but he just smirked in return. Amused by her antics.

Usually they never made it to him actually feeding her when she refused her meals. Usually a withering glare or just standing was enough to make her eat. Severus had to admit that she was getting better. Before she would never think about defying him outright. The abused and neglected lioness was coming out of her cave. The thought made him let out a small smile. He was pushed back into reality as her small teeth bit into the strip of bacon. He watched with rather small frown as she jerked her head up slightly and pulled the bacon strip from his fingers. Bringing her own hand up to hold the strip, she chewed triumphantly, as if she was the one who outsmarted him. Severus rolled his eyes and pulled the plate closer, then licking the grease off of his fingertips. She grasped the last piece of bacon and tore it in half. The one half she ate and the other she held in front of Severus's face.

"Eat it or I _will_ make you!" Hermione's voice was low and she let her voice turn into a slight bark as she tried to imitate him. Her rather poor imitation gained her a rather offended glare.

"Are you mocking me, Ms. Granger?" His eyes narrowed and Hermione smirked but said nothing. His hand squeezed on her waist, she jumped with surprise and let out a small muffled shriek. She glared at him.

"What if I was? What are you going to do? Feed me bacon?" She waved the offered strip under his nose and he chuckled before taking the morsel from her hand with his mouth. His eyes watched her from under his dark hair. She blushed red and quickly turned towards her plate of eggs with a small cough. Severus watched her with an amused smirk as she ate the rest of her scrambled eggs. Looking over her shoulder he spied her uneaten toast. He let go of her waist to reach for it and she slapped his hand.

"That is _my_ toast." She shot a rather venomous glare at him from over her shoulder. Her t-shirt pulling up on her back slightly from the movement. Showing the smallest sliver of her pale skin. Severus stared at her, his eyes sliding down to look at the pale skin. His eyes jerked back upwards to glare at her.

"You _hit_ me." His voice was a growl and she smirked rather darkly, still looking at him over her shoulder.

"You were going to steal my toast." She let a smug smile settle over her features as if her logic was completely better than his.

"You didn't have to hit me."

"Oh, stop being such a baby. Yours is on the counter. Go get it." Her head jerked towards the counter that, to Severus, seemed a long ways away. Her focus was on her breakfast as she methodically ate her eggs.

"I would, except a rather stubborn impertinent witch, who refused to eat her breakfast is sitting on my lap." His tone was rather amused and Hermione stiffened once more and she turned her whole body to look at him with wide eyes.

"I am, aren't I?" Her voice was quiet and filled with a silent horror.

Severus gave a shrug and she jumped out of his lap as if he had shocked her. Severus felt a sudden rush of blood returning to the spot she had been sitting on. He rubbed it absently to help with the circulation.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"

"I was my fault, Ms. Granger. I could think of no other way to get you to eat other than feeding you myself." He stood up and walked past her to grab his buttered toast. Her demeanor had changed and she was back to the abused house elf stance. He nearly let out a frustrated sigh but refrained. "When you are done eating. Come to the basement." With that he left the witch alone in the kitchen.

* * *

Hermione slumped against the counter her face burning. She had no idea what cause her to act that way. She had been disrespectful and acted like a three year old child. Her stomach suddenly churned as she looked at her nearly empty plate of eggs. Hermione covered her face with her hands and wanted to do nothing more than cry.

She_ was _a weak and useless piece of flesh, Ron had been right all along. Tears pricked at the corner of her eyes and Hermione wiped them away furiously. She didn't want to be weak. She didn't want to feel out of control. She wanted to be able to walk around outside without the fear that they would come and get her. She wanted to be able to walk through a dark alley without being terrified. Hermione pulled in a shuddering breath and walked down the hallway to the open basement door. She never went down there because Severus's lab was down there. He didn't like interruptions while brewing.

Looking down the dark stairs Hermione fought back the panic she was feeling. Slowly but surely Hermione walked down the dark stairwell. Several of the steps creaked and Hermione winced looking around quickly.

"I'm in here." At Snape's voice Hermione's head turned to a rather large door to the right of the stairs. Walking a bit quicker, Hermione reached the door and pushed it open. She found herself in a small but brightly lit gym. There were floor mats, weight-lifting equipment, and several odd looking cushions on the floor.

"What is this? How did you manage to do all this?" Hermione was floored that he would actually do something like this. She jumped at the sound of Velcro. Her head jerked to the right and her mouth dropped open in surprise. Snape was walking towards her in a pair of grey sweatpants and a white wife beater. He was tightening a pair of padded gloves around his wrists and his lank hair was pulled back into a ponytail at the back of his neck.

"I decided you would need a usable space for your training. I mostly transfigured everything." He waved his hand slightly at the room without really looking at it. Hermione watched as the muscles on his arms and shoulders flexed with his movements. _Who knew he hide that under his robes. I wonder what else he's hiding. _The thought flickered through Hermione's head before she realized where her train of thought went.

Scars seemed to reach around his shoulders and towards his chest. Hermione's eyes followed one of the longer ones with her eyes and stopped when it reached the edge of his shirt. Her eyes flicked to the snake bite scar that wrapped around the one side of his neck and Hermione frowned.

"See something you like, Granger? If not, go get dressed." He punctuated his words with a quick pull on his velcro. Hermione's mouth snapped shut and she blushed red and glanced at the floor. "Oh, come now. No reason to be shy." His patronizing tone grated on her nerves and she stalked past him.

"Nothing I haven't seen before."

"Oh, but, Ms. Granger. _You_ haven't seen any of _this_ before." He leaned towards her as she passed. His silky tones made Hermione's face flare red. She was pretty sure that her face would have put Rudolph's nose to shame. Hermione stopped right in front of a small partition in the corner. She froze. "What? Scared to change with me in the same room? Still the prudish Gryffindor Princess I see." Hermione threw a rather dangerous glare over her shoulder before stomping behind the thin wall and pulling off her t-shirt. She flung it so it hung off the partition and grabbed the folded white tank top from the small pile of clothes on a small bench. She pulled it on with a furious tug and glowered at the thin partition when she heard amused chuckling. She changed the rest of her clothes just as quickly and stomped from behind the makeshift changing room with a scowl.

"Well, what are we doing now?" She planted her hands on her hips and looked around. Snape was sitting on one of the cushions with his back to her. He sat straight-backed with his legs folded and his hands on his knees.

"You are going to sit by me just like this." He didn't turn around and Hermione walked over to the other cushion with a slight wariness. She sat down slowly, glancing at Severus every so often. His head turned towards her and he opened his eyes. Her eyes went wide and she quickly looked forward. A soft shuffling sound reached her ears and muted thumps moved towards her. A warm rough hand grasped her shoulder. "You need to sit straighter." Another hand was placed on her lower back and Snape pushed on her back and pulled on her shoulder slightly to make her posture straight. Hermione froze and her breath came out in little panicked gasps. Severus moved into her line of vision and he looked at her.

"Breath deeper. Do not panic. Remember no one can get in here." He grasped her hands and positioned them on her knees. "Now close your eyes and empty your mind. And if you can't do that, then we are going to sit here till you do." With that Hermione watched him move back over to his cushion and sit down. With a deep breath, Hermione closed her eyes.

* * *

It took her over twenty minutes to get her breathing under control, another ten to relax, and a half an hour to empty her mind as she was told. Hermione couldn't hear anything else in the room other than her own breathing, without thinking her breathing slowed and became more silent. As this happened she became aware of the different sounds around her. She heard the steady whoosh of air flowing through Snape's lungs; she heard a dog bark from the alley. Sirens could be heard and Hermione focused on each sound categorizing it and taking it in. A clock ticked from the kitchen and a fly buzzed around somewhere in the room. As she focused on the sound the fly made, she became aware that it was near the partition corner. After a few moments of taking in the sounds she heard a familiar rustling noise.

"That's good enough. You can open your eyes."

Hermione's eyes fluttered open and she looked around before stretching out her legs. She winced at the pins and prickles she felt underneath her skin.

"Tell me, Ms. Granger. What side of the house did the dog bark on?"

Hermione frowned with confusion and stood up. "The north side. In the alleyway." She rubbed her neck and stretched her arms over her head, her back popping.

"And the sirens?"

Hermione looked at him before reaching down and grabbing her foot. She pulled it up behind her and winced at the pulling of her muscles.

"South-east corner of the house. Probably going down Hoover Street." Hermione let her foot go and repeated the action with her other one.

"Good. Now the fly was where?" He looked at her with his arms folded across his chest and Hermione jerked her hand near the partition.

"Over there." She rolled her shoulders and let out a sigh. "The clock that was ticking was in the kitchen. You take thirteen breaths per minute and you didn't move once. I took in fifteen breaths per minute and shifted a total of six times. The neighbours were getting into an argument over dinner and this was a test wasn't it?" Hermione glanced at Severus as he nodded.

"And to my everlasting surprise, you passed." His sarcasm was evident as he uncrossed his arms and rolled his shoulders. "And the neighbours were discussing supper not dinner." Hermione scowled and rolled her eyes, muttering under her breath.

"Don't get an attitude, Ms. Granger. You have to learn to use your senses. Focus on your hearing but at the same time utilize your sight. Create a layout in your mind about whose where and what is in your way." He walked towards her slowly, his eyes on her face the whole time. "You have to use every single sense." Hermione had the feeling she was being crowded as Severus circled her. There was a gleam in his eyes that could only be described as predatory.

"Sight, sound, scent." He stood behind her and leaned his head over her shoulder slightly. "Touch and taste." The words and his breath caressed her ears and cheek. Hermione swallowed against her suddenly dry throat. Her face slowly getting warm.

"I understand. I must use every sense in order to win a fight." She was frozen and stiff.

"Correct. Whether it be magical or physical. Use all your senses and you will win every time." He had yet to move from behind her and Hermione's spine was straight and stiff. "One must relax and trust the other senses not just sight. Sight can be fooled, the other sense are much harder to confuse. Relax Ms. Granger and close your eyes." Hermione closed her eyes and let out a shaky breath.

"Trust your instincts. If they tell you to move. Move. If they tell you to strike out. Strike out. If they tell you to fight. Fight. And if they tell you to run. Run. Act without thought." He moved around her slowly. Hermione was aware of his close proximity and movements even though her eyes were closed. Her skin prickled and she felt like little sparks were running down it. The feeling unfamiliar but she felt she knew it somewhere. "Act on impulse. If a person gets close enough..." The sparks intensified on one spot on her arm before slowly trailing down to her hand. Hermione gave a small shiver.

"You can feel their magic sparking on your skin. It will feel faint but trust it. An enemy's magic will clash against your own. The sparks will sting, but if a friend or family nears you, the sparks feel warm and soft. This is your defense mechanism. If the spark hurts when someone approaches. Kill them before they kill you." The sparks along her skin seemed to change in intensity and Hermione stepped to the right quickly. A brush of air passed by the side of her face. "Good. The sparks also show intent. The intent to harm or the intent to kill. You are a fast learner. I thought I was going to hit you." There was a mocking tone in his voice and Hermione opened her eyes to glare at him.

"You were going to hit me?" She scowled at him darkly. He raised an eyebrow before quickly waving his wand. A strip of cloth appeared in his hand.

"I was... but you moved. Now if your eyes aren't going to stay shut then I have to blindfold you. Turn around." There was a commanding tone in his voice and Hermione glared at him but listened. He was teaching her after all and students were supposed to listen to their teachers. Her arms crossed and her lips were pressed in a thin angry line. The blindfold was put over her eyes and tied. "Now. I am warning you now. You will leave here with bruises." Hermione scoffed at that and had her legs swept out from underneath her. She landed rather ungracefully on her ass.

"Not fair! I wasn't ready." Hermione shouted as she slowly got to her feet. Her balance completely missing without her sight. Her sense of right and left was gone as well.

"An enemy won't wait till you are ready. Calm down and focus on your other senses. I'll give you several seconds to compose yourself." Hermione turned her head slightly to the direction of Snape's voice and took a deep breath in and let it out. The prickles of magic against her skin was faint on her left but a bit stronger on her right. They flared up and Hermione quickly moved backwards. She barely had time to move again when rough hands grabbed her shoulders and she was thrown to the mat. The air was knocked out of her and Snape grasped her hand and pulled her to her feet.

"_Focus_." The word was hissed into her ear before he moved away. Hermione let out another deep breath and tried to focus without her sight and only managed to dodge two of his blows before she was thrown to the mat once more.

For the next hour and a half Hermione was thrown to the mat again and again. Only managing to dodge two or three of his attacks before hitting the mats. Severus was right when he said she would leave with bruises. She felt sore all over.

"Come on, Ms. Granger. You can do better than that." His voice was mocking and Hermione frowned but stood once more. She rolled her shoulders when the sparking on her right shoulder flared. She twisted her body and impulsively threw a punch in front of her. She felt it hit a solid form and a small oof was heard.

"Oh, Merlin! I'm sorry I didn't mean to actually hit-"

"That is good, Ms. Granger. You acted on impulse and you manage to hit me. I'm impressed." The blindfold was taken off and Hermione blinked at the sudden brightness. She blinked her eyes to try and adjust to the sudden change in lighting. Snape stood in front of her with a small smirk. "Welcome back to the world of sight, Ms. Granger. I think that is enough for one day. We will meet again tomorrow. Now, I'm hungry." The pointed look he gave her made Hermione roll her eyes before walking out of the room and up the stairs.

* * *

That evening Hermione went to the library to look up defensive magic. There were several books and Hermione read through most of them. She practiced the defensive stances and focused on how to rely on her other senses rather than just her sight. Most of the books told her what Snape had said. But there were a few useful pointers that Hermione was going to use. As she skimmed over the words in the books she smirked at the pointers, they were certainly helpful.

**1. Focus- Always maintain a focus of your goal. Distractions are always there but focus on your goal and you will complete your mission. Examples of distractions: physical, sexual, innocent, environmental, mental, personal, and human.**

_I wonder what it would take to distract, Mr. Severus Snape._ Hermione gave a small chuckle at her thoughts. Hermione could just imagine each one of those distractions. She doubted physical, mental, personal, human, and sexual would distract him. She could see environmental. But the one she knew would distract him would be the innocent. She imagined him looking at her as she innocently inquired about puberty. She burst out laughing at his face when she imagined asking him. He looked half horrified and half panicked. Hermione shook her head with a chuckle before turning back to the book.

**2. Determination- You must be determined in your goal. If you lack determination. You lack the will to succeed. A strict determination to get to your goal will help you complete it.**

**3. Keep Calm- Always remain calm at all times. To become agitated means you lose focus. (See paragraph on **_**Focus**_** for extra details.) Being calm is essential to completing a goal. Keeping your breathing even and body slightly loose gives you an advantage. You can use all your senses if you remain calm.**

**4. Hold Your Temper- Do not lose your temper. Anger throws you off balance and you will be more capable of making mistakes. Mistakes will cause you to fail in your goal.**

**5. Be prepared- You must be prepared for anything that may come your way. Always allow for variables when planning. If something **_**can**_** happen, it **_**will **_**happen.**

**6. Listen to Advice- If someone takes time to give you a bit of advice. Listen. More times than not it will be helpful to you in the end.**

**7. Utilize You Senses- Use all your senses. Illusions can fool your sight but not your hearing or your touch. Practice using your senses and it will give you a higher chance to succeed.**

**8. Act on Your Instincts- If you get a feeling in your gut to duck, you have to duck. Acting on impulse in a situation that turns physical will turn the tables in your favour. Acting impulsively gives your opponent no time to figure out what your next move will be. **

**9. Balance- Keep your balance and your will be able to move in a smooth and graceful fashion. Keeping your balance in a fight is key. Utilize your balance to tip your opponent's.**

**10. Hit Hard- You have to hit with your whole strength in order to win. No one will learn if you do not deliver a blow that has weight behind it. But don't throw your weight around. That will cause balance issues. (See paragraph on **_**Balance**_** for more information.)**

**11. Speed is Important- You need to move quickly. If your opponent can't catch you. They can't hit you. Dodge their blows and they will waste their strength trying to do just that. Hit them quick and hard but move away from them just as fast. Do not let them get their hands on you. If caught, use one of the defensive escape manoeuvres on page 134.**

Hermione turned to the page specified and looked at the different ways to escape certain holds. She smirked and took in the images. No very many people knew it but Hermione just had to read something and could apply it almost instantly without very much practice. She had been through three of the books and every single one had instructions of how to take down people. Most of them were geared towards taking down a much bigger person and Hermione smirked. She wasn't very big so she could apply the techniques to pretty much everyone she knew.

Her stomach growled and Hermione shut the book and placed all of them back on the shelves. She moved to the kitchen in a thoughtful mood. She set out preparing supper and was in the process of cutting the potatoes when she got the feeling of being watched. She whirled around and without a second thought threw the knife that was in her hand.

* * *

Severus had come up from his potion's lab for supper and had stopped in the doorway to watch Hermione make supper. He had really given her a beating today. But he mentally shrugged. One had to be hard in order for someone to get the lesson. He had only a second before a knife came flying at him. He jerked his head to the left and the knife flew by his ear and stabbed into the wall behind him. He looked at it and then back into the kitchen slowly. An eyebrow rose slightly. Hermione's eyes were wide with horror.

"Oh Merlin. I could have hurt you! I'm sorry." Her hands covered her mouth and her brown eyes filled with tears. Severus turned around and pulled the knife from the hallway wall. "I was acting on an impulse. I didn't think of the consequences." He walked into the kitchen silently and stood in front of her. His face was blank and impervious as he looked at her with dark eyes. He held the knife, handle out to her.

"Good. You learned a lesson..." He smirked. "So did I. I will make sure to announce my presence next time." He watched as the witch took the knife slowly and cleaned it in the sink. Severus leaned against the counter his black robes hanging off his frame. Giving him the illusion of being thin and weak. He watched her with his arms crossed. His black eyes looking at the witch who was still dressed in her grey sweatpants and white tank top.

"Who taught you to throw knives?" He as curious about how the witch learned such a skill.

"I wasn't taught it. I read about it." Her back was to him as she placed the pot of potatoes on the burner to cook. Severus gave a small huff of air as the witch turned to clean up her area.

"Books can't teach you how to do that."

Hermione shrugged. "They do for me. How do you think I was able to brew Poly Juice Potion in my second year? I read how to do it so I knew how to do it. I read how to do something and I can do it." Severus sneered slightly.

"So if I wrote down how to decapitate someone properly with a short sword and you read it. You would be able to do it?"

"That's rather disgusting but yes, I would."

"I don't entirely believe you. Can I test this out?" With a small movement of his hip, he pushed himself off of the counter and towards the small cupboards on the other side of the kitchen. Hermione gave a small shrug.

"I don't care. As long as you don't get me to kill someone, I'm fine with it."

Severus gave a small nod and grasped a piece of parchment from one of the cupboards and looked for a quill. Finding one he quickly jotted down some instructions before walking over to the witch and handing it to her.

"Go on, take it." His tone was mocking and Hermione took the paper from him. One of her eyebrows rose.

"What are you five? You seriously want me to do this?" Her tone was disbelieving and Severus nodded with a smug smirk. She sighed. "Fine." She closed her eyes and then opened them once more, letting out a deep breath. Looking at Snape, she grimaced. He smirked slightly and waited. Hermione raised her hand, looking at him expectantly. He raised an eyebrow.

"I don't have a wand. I have to use yours."

"Well you can't."

"Well, that solves everything. I can't do this without a wand and you're the only one here that has one. I guess I don't have to do something as stupid and childish as this." She smirked and turned back to the stove to stir the potatoes. Severus scowled.

"All it was, was you had to turn yourself into a man. It wasn't that bad."

Hermione sighed and Severus smirked. "It would have been humiliating not to mention childish. Pick something else." She waved her hand flippantly.

"You are quite mouthy. A big difference from what you were yesterday. I think I liked you better when you were terrified." Severus sat at the table and smirked. "So, all I would need to do was write everything down and you would know it? I don't need to teach you?" Hermione turned around and stared at him.

"You still need to teach me. I would have the knowledge of how it is done but little things can be missed in instructions. I don't have the strength to do most things. I need to build that. To do that I need your help." Severus watched as the witch turned back to the stove. She had a long way to go.

* * *

It took Hermione three months to reach her goal. More than once Hermione got so angry she would cuss and refuse to even talk to him. But her mild little snits usually ended by supper and she would apologize for her behavior. They talked more and Hermione learned to relax and keep her emotions under control. She no longer jumped at loud noises but she still would occasionally glance at him to make sure he was still there. Usually after a warning growl from Severus, she would chuckle and apologize.

As usual Hermione was a fast learner and it didn't take her long to begin to move the way Severus did. She wasn't as quiet as he was just yet but she moved silently through the house and sometimes he even wondered if she had simply left. But in those cases she would seem to melt from the shadows right in front of him or beside him. Not that is startled him, the man seemed unshakable and more than once Hermione's mind went to the distraction list. The list changed every time she thought about her former professor. And the day came where Hermione needed to test out her new knowledge outside. Mainly, in Knockturn Alley. If she passed Severus decided that they would get her another wand.

"You ready?" Severus watched the trembling witch as she looked at the blue sky above her head. She hadn't really left the house since arriving four months ago. Severus knew she was probably terrified. She gave a shaky nod and Snape grasped her arm before apperating into Knockturn Alley.

Hermione moved slightly closer to him and Severus smirked slightly before pushing her away a bit. She was covered in a dark cloak and was practically invisible in the shadows.

"Remember what you have been taught. We have to make our way to Diagon Alley from here. Don't worry. I'll be behind you every step of the way." He watched as Hermione's terror filled brown eyes slowly made their way to lock onto his. "I promise." He watched with some satisfaction as she gave him a small smile and the fear seemed to drain from her eyes. Her back straightened and she let out a deep breath before stepping away from him and into the dingy alley. Severus waited a few moments before following her.

She seemed to blend in with the shadows and barely anyone noticed her. Severus followed her, not worrying about sticking to the shadows. He took his eyes off of Hermione for a second, when he looked again, she was gone and a rather large man stood in his path. The man's back was to him and he seemed to be reaching for something.

"Such a pretty little girl. All alone in Knockturn Alley. Tibius will help you. Just come with me." Severus was about to move around the large man to find Hermione, when the huge man doubled over with an oof. Severus caught sight of Hermione as she spun around and planted her foot in the man's face. Severus inwardly winced as the man's nose broke. The crack was audible and Hermione scowled at the man, who seemed dazed as he sat up, sitting on the ground.

"Keep your filthy hands to yourself."

"You bitch! You broke my nose!" The man roared, stood up and swiped at Hermione but she jumped back away from his reaching hands. She swiftly moved closer and jabbed the man in his stomach. When he doubled over, she grabbed his head and brought her knee up into his face. Severus watched her with smug pride.

She was deadly, calm, and beautiful. Severus jerked back at the thought. Beautiful? Did he really think that? He watched her more carefully as she brought her fist down onto the man's face. She had a grace around her. Her face was usually blank because of her Occulemncy walls but when she smiled, it lit her up from the inside out and it made Severus want to smile as well.

Her untameable honey-brown curls bounced down her back and her chocolate brown eyes flashed with fire. She had a pleasing face. She wasn't as magnificent as Lily had been but she had an aura around her that Lily never had. Hermione didn't realize she was beautiful; Lily did and used it to her advantage. _Yes_, Severus decided, _she's beautiful. Any fool with two eyes could see that_. The admission left him in a slightly sour mood but he watched as the large man hit the ground with a dull thud. He smirked smugly and stepped over him as Hermione started walking away. He could almost guarantee no one would bother the little witch since she effectively kicked Tibius MacNair's arse.

* * *

They reached Diagon Alley without any more distractions, in fact everyone seemed to disappear when Hermione walked by. No wanting to call attention to themselves around the little witch. They reached the brightness of Diagon Alley and a few people threw them some glances but then quickly went on their way. Severus fell into step beside Hermione as they walked to Olivander's. The bell rang when they opened the door and Hermione looked around the store with a wave of nostalgia. She remembered getting her first wand. Nine inches, yew, with unicorn hair core.

"Ah, Ms. Granger. Back for another wand? I knew something was amiss. They burned it as well, I take it?" Hermione gave a solemn nod to the older man. She never really questioned how he knew what he did. He just did. Severus sat down while Hermione waited on her feet while Olivander searched the shelves for a wand. He came over with a stack of wand boxes. He opened the top one and handed it to Hermione. She waved it and it let out a rather loud bang and emitted a line of fire. "Nope." Olivander snatched it from her hand only to replace it with another. That one caused the windows to explode and she was given another one.

* * *

It had taken nearly an hour before Hermione found her wand. She swished it experimentally, and a tendril of golden light emerged and wrapped around her body before solidifying into a golden shield. Hermione smiled as the shield transformed into rose petals that rained down on her. Olivander clapped his hands happily.

"Excellent, but strange. Your last wand was the polar opposite to this one."

Hermione looked at her wand. Her other had been a pale red, flexible and light. This one was a black colour that she deduced to be from the ebony tree. It was stiff with a bit of bend and was heavy, but it was a welcome weight. She knew it was there.

"Your old one was nine inches, yew, unicorn hair, perfect for charms and transfiguration. This one is eleven inches, ebony wood, thestral heart-string, perfect for defensive and offensive spells. A very powerful wand. Curious. You must have been through a lot, Ms. Granger, for your wand to change this much." Olivander replaced the discarded wands into their boxes and Hermione looked at her new wand. The magic in her veins felt different when she held this wand. With her old one it had been an airy, tilty, virtually non-existent feeling, but with this one it was heavier, more substantial, balanced. She didn't see him but Severus stood up and walked over to her.

"May I see?" He looked at her with an impassive expression and Hermione shrugged and handed her wand over. Severus looked it over and his eyes went slightly wide with surprise and recognition. Hermione watched as he flicked his wrist and his wand fell from his sleeve into his hand. He held it out to her and Hermione took it carefully. She looked it over. _Eleven inches, ebony wood, and- _Hermione burst out laughing. Severus scowled at her and she shook her head in disbelief.

"They match." Hermione looked at Severus's wand in her hand and then to hers which rested in his. She frowned at the feeling of the magic flowing through her veins. It seemed to channel her magic differently than her new wand did. Everything felt the same but it felt as if sparks of electricity moved through her veins. She quickly stuck out the wand and they swapped. Olivander returned with a smile. He looked between both wands with a small smirk.

"My, my. Matching wands. Very curious." He went to the till and Severus followed, handing him a small bag of galleons. Hermione stood off to the side looking her new wand over. Severus went to turn to her when Olivander grasped his arm quickly. The tall dark man frowned.

"What?" He scowled and Olivander smirked.

"She will be a handful. I almost guarantee sparks will fly. Watch your back, some things just may sneak up on you." With the cryptic word he retreated back into his shelves, leaving Severus to try and ponder what he had just said. Severus shrugged it off and walked over to Hermione who had a small smile on her face as she looked at her wand

"Thanks for this." She looked at him with undisguised joy in her eyes. "I really mean it. Thank you." Severus felt an unfamiliar tightening in his chest and he gave a curt nod before looking out the window.

"Is there anything else you would like to do? If not we should probably go back to Spinner's End."

Hermione gave a small nod. "I'm good. Let's go. I have to make lunch." Severus took her arm and led her out of Olivander's before he apperated them back to Spinner's End.

* * *

"Do the gods hate me?" Severus was seething at the morning's Daily Prophet and Hermione rolled her eyes as she cooked breakfast.

"What's going on? Did someone steal your potions? Did they break into your Gringott's account?"

Severus scowled darkly. "Don't be so sarcastic. The mutt was tossed back from the Veil! I thought all of them, except Lupin, were dead and gone from the world and now I realize I was _too_ lucky. _Death_ didn't even want the mutt." Hermione chuckled and walked over to him and leaned over his shoulder. Her curls brushing his cheek as she read the article.

"It's a good thing for Harry, I guess. He gets his godfather back." Hermione grabbed his shoulder in her hand and gave it a squeeze. She tried not to notice the hard muscles under her hand that were hidden beneath his robes. "Poor, wittwe Sevewus is going to suffer. The big bad doggie is going to get him. But don't wowy, Hewmione wiw pwotect you." Hermione chuckled at his growl.

"I'm joking. You're always so Sirius... Black that is."

Severus scowled at her darkly, his nostrils flaring. Hermione laughed loudly at his dark expression.

"I'm sorry I couldn't resist. You're just so much fun to pick on." She squeezed his shoulder once more. "I promise not to bring up Sirius Black anymore." Hermione let out a sigh.

"I still think he's still a foolish, reckless prick, if that makes you feel any better." Hermione threw the words over her shoulder as she moved back over to the stove to flip the pancakes. She flicked her wand and a plate of hot pancakes landed on the Daily Prophet in front of Severus. That was followed by the syrup, jam, and juice.

"It does actually. Makes me feel loads better." His tone was biting and sarcastic. Hermione rolled her eyes. He was in one of his 'moods'. _That_ would make for a nice workout session. She was in for a rough time today. Hermione sighed. She just _had_ to poke the bear, now she was regretting even going near it.

They finished their breakfast in silence and after Severus left, Hermione cleaned up. After she washed the dishes, she walked down the stairs without so much as a thought. The dark didn't bother her since her trip down Knockturn Alley. She went into the gym and walked over to the partition, ignoring the glare that Severus was sending her way as he was stretching. After changing Hermione walked around the thin wall and was promptly thrown to the mats.

* * *

Half an hour later Hermione and Severus emerged from the basement covered in bruises and some cuts. Hermione limped slightly and Severus was nursing his right arm.

"Did you get out all your frustration? Or would you like to use me as a punching bag once more?" Hermione's tone was light and teasing and Severus let out a small grunt. An owl tapped at the kitchen window and Severus watched it warily before casting a few spells to make sure it wasn't carrying anything dangerous. After reassuring himself that the envelope wasn't a danger to him, he opened the window and let the bird in. Hermione watched with a raised eyebrow as she grabbed a bag of frozen peas from the freezer to put on her knee. She sat down and Severus opened the letter and paid the owl. He shut the window slowly as he read the piece of parchment.

"I think I might need another round actually. The mutt's invited me to his 'Welcome Home' party." He face was dark and he looked down right pissed. Hermione got up and limped over to him to see the invitation. Hermione smirked.

"Don't expect another round. Your punching bag is sore." She limped her way back over to the chair and put her foot up on the other chair and placed the ice on her swollen knee. She watched him crumple the invitation and rolled her eyes. "Sit down. We are going to accept this bloody invitation to show Mr. Black that you are the better man." Hermione looked at him with a frown, he opened his mouth to talk and Hermione cut him off.

"And just think about how upset he will be when you show up. I can almost guarantee it was Harry's idea to invite you. Not Black's. It would ruin his night. Besides I need to see my friends. I haven't seen any of them in nearly five months." Hermione shrugged slightly. Ron still hadn't been caught but Hermione knew that he would never hurt her again. If he tried she would kill him. Severus scowled at her.

"I hope you aren't talking about that piece of-"

Hermione cut him off with a rather sharp glare. "I'm not. Don't worry. When is the party?" Severus' scowl returned.

"In a week."

Hermione smirked slightly. "Well then, we have time to get ready."

* * *

Severus scowled as he looked in the mirror. He was wearing standard black robes and his dragon hide boots. But that was the same as every other day.

"Hurry up, Snape! I don't want to be late." Hermione's voice sounded from downstairs by the front door.

"That would be a pity." The words were muttered under his breath. He opened his bedroom door and walked gracefully down the stairs and nearly tripped when he caught sight of Hermione. She was wearing a dark emerald green cocktail dress hung to just above her knees. The thick straps crossed at the back, her skin looked smooth and free of blemishes. She had cast a glamour over her scars.

A silver sash ran around her waist and tied at the front, off the right slightly. She was wearing black high heels and her hair was looked as though it was carelessly put up, curly tendrils hung around her face. She smiled at him brightly. Severus found himself struggling for a breath.

"You look dashing." Her chocolate brown eyes danced with excitement and joy. "I take it you are ready to leave?" Severus gave a rather curt nod, his throat dry. Hermione walked over and took his arm.

"Okay, that's good. Do you have your cloak?" Hermione looked up at him with an expectant expression. Severus shook his head and coughed slightly. He let his wand drop from his sleeve to his hand. He cast the summoning charm and his black cloak with the dark green lining came from his bedroom. He draped it over his arm and tucked his wand back up his sleeve.

"Do you have your wand?" He managed to find his voice and Hermione nodded before pulling up the skirt of her dress to show him her wand in the holster that lay on her upper thigh. Severus scowled at her, trying to ignore the smooth flesh she had so carelessly shown. "A simple 'yes' would have worked instead of showing me where you stowed it." Hermione blushed slightly, let her dress drop and took his arm once more. Severus lowered the wards and they walked out the front door. After looking both ways Severus Apperated with Hermione in tow.

* * *

They arrived at the entrance of Grimmauld Place and Hermione shivered from the biting wind. Severus let out a rather annoyed sigh.

"You forgot your cloak." He removed his arm from Hermione's and draped his cloak over her shoulders. Hermione smiled at him and flipped up the hood, her face disappearing from view. "_What_ are you doing?" Hermione chuckled.

"I like surprising people."

Severus rolled his eyes and took her elbow. "Of course you do." He walked her to the front door and knocked sharply. After a few seconds the door was thrown open and Lupin looked at Snape with a tired smile.

"Severus! You made it." His eyes slid over to the covered Hermione. "And you brought a friend. How nice." He stepped out of the doorway to let the two pass. Severus' face twisted into a frown. Hermione's hand reached up and smoothed away the frown lines.

"If you keep that up you'll get wrinkles."

Severus rolled his eyes and Lupin passed them and moved into the dining room where a burst of laughter came from. "It's a bit too late for that, Granger." He dropped her elbow and they moved side-by-side to the doors of the dining room. Hermione hesitated slightly.

"I don't think I'm ready for this."

Severus let out a rather long sigh. "You beat the shit out of Tibius MacNair in Knockturn Alley two weeks ago. I am more than positive you are ready for this." Hermione nodded form underneath the hood. Severus gave her a returning nod before opening the door. The laughter petered out when they realized who walked through the door. Severus raised an eyebrow and held the door open for Hermione to come through. All the eyes were on them and Severus looked around rather lazily.

"Please continue. I don't want to disturb your conversation." His tone was biting and snarky. Hermione chuckled slightly when everyone slowly returned to their conversation.

"Would it kill you to be polite?"

Severus shrugged. "Probably." He looked around the room. Most of the Weasleys were there. Ron and Charlie were absent. Lupin, Tonks, and Teddy were there. He noted that Harry and the mutt were missing as well. Ms. Lovegood and Mr. Longbottom were there, sitting beside Bill and Fleur. Severus raised an eyebrow as everyone seemed to glance at him with slight wariness or contempt every so often. He pulled out a chair for Hermione and she sat down with a murmured thank you. He sat beside her and leaned down near her hood.

"That idiot isn't here. Neither is the mutt or the golden boy."

Hermione's fingers tapped on the table with a rather irritated pattern. Looking around at the others, Severus covered her hand with his. "Don't that is incredibly distracting. Find some other way to convey your irritation." He let go of her hand and she pulled it on to her lap. It was a few moments of watching the people in the room before Hermione spoke.

"I want to hit something."

"What?" Severus leaned away from her slightly and looked at her cloaked figure with confusion. "You want to hit something? Why?" Her shoulder rose and fell.

"Something to do. Whenever I get bored at Spinner's End, I usually end up fighting with you. Hitting the mats is painful but it helps work out my negative and restless energy." The hood shifted slightly and Severus knew she was looking around. He leaned in closer to her.

"Here's something to do. Close your eyes and listen. Focus on your surroundings. Try and figure out where everyone is sitting." There was a small perceivable nod. Severus was allowed some quiet for the next few moments as Hermione used her hearing to try and pin point where everyone sat. Different conversations seemed to melt in with one another. After five minutes Severus glanced at her.

"Where's Fleur?" The words were whispered and he leaned in closer to her so she could hear him.

"She's at the end of the table sitting beside Bill, he got up once for some drinks. She is talking to Luna who is sitting beside Neville." Hermione's voice was low but Tonks looked at them with narrowed eyes but she turned back to her conversation with Ginny after a sharp glare from Severus.

"Good. Now where is Lupin?"

Hermione was silent for a few seconds. "He's moving over here. He is curious about me but doesn't trust you." Severus's head moved up and saw that she was right, he was making his way over to them. Severus smirked slightly at the werewolf, the full moon had been a few days ago and he looked a bit worse for wear. He gave Severus a cordial nod before sitting across the table from them.

"How have you been, Severus?" His tone was weary and Severus gave a non-committal shrug.

"The same. Drunk out of my mind, and wasting my life away in Spinner's End." He felt Hermione grip his wrist under the table to get his attention. He turned his head towards her slightly and bent down to listen to what she wanted to say.

"Liar." She chuckled quietly in his ear and Severus felt a small smile flit across his face. He leaned in closer.

"One of the best I am told." He couldn't see it but he knew she was smiling at him. Her hand squeezed his wrist once more before retreating. He turned back to Lupin. "Is your curiosity appeased?" Lupin looked at the cloaked Hermione with a faint curiosity.

"Please, introduce me to your charming companion, Severus." Lupin watched his expression carefully. Severus smirked.

"It's up to her if she wants to talk to you." They were interrupted by a loud bang as the door to the dining room was flung open. Severus sneered at Sirius' familiar face. The remaining Black scowled at him.

"Hello, Snivillus. Kill any Headmasters lately?" Black glared at the potions master and Severus was immediately on edge. That was a sore topic for the wizard. Hermione grasped his wrist in a comforting grip. He was stiff with anger and tension but a bit slipped out of his body with her touch.

"No, but it must hurt having the Veil throw you back here. Death can take Pettigrew but he wants nothing to do with you. Pity." His smooth voice was laced with venom and he tilted his head up lightly, daring Black to make another move.

"Death decided I hadn't utilized my full potential as a wizard and a lover. Not that you would know about any of those things. Can't hold onto a wand or a woman as I recall."

Severus shot out of his chair with a dark scowl. His black eyes were cold and hard. He felt a prickling on his hand just before a small warm hand clasped it. The small hand felt fragile as it tugged him downwards.

"Ignore him, Snape." Harry appeared in the door way. "I didn't think you would make it." Severus scowled darkly at the arrogant man and gave a curt nod to Potter before slowly sitting beside Hermione once more. She didn't release his hand but gave it a firm squeeze to let him know she was still with him. He squeezed back to let her know he understood. Then withdrew his hand from hers.

"I wasn't, Potter. But I had a rather impertinent witch tell me I was to go or she wouldn't feed me. And I happen to like what she cooks." Everyone's eyes shifted from Sirius to Severus to Hermione. They all seemed to lean forward to try and guess who was under the hood.

"I actually invited you because I wanted to talk to you about something."

Severus gave a curt nod and stood up. He placed a hand on Hermione's shoulder before bending down. "I will be right back. Try to focus on what's going on around you." She gave a small nod before Severus followed Harry into the kitchen. Once the door was closed and silencing spells were put up Harry let out a rather large sigh.

"I don't know if you follow the news much but Hermione's missing. She has been for the past five months. No one can find her; no one knows where she could have possibly gone." Harry ran a hand through his hair, he looked terrible, he had bags under his eyes and he seemed to have a permanent frown etched on his face.

"And you wanted to talk to me because?" Severus crossed his arms and looked at the weary wizard. Harry seemed to try and find the right words. "I hope you don't ask if I kidnapped her. If you do, I will have to hurt you." Harry waved his words away.

"No, I was wondering if she came to you. I know about the Life Debt you owe her." Harry looked at him as if he was his last hope. "Please Snape. I just want to know if she is okay. If you have seen her." Snape shrugged.

"Why doesn't see tell you that herself? If she hasn't contacted you then why would she come to me? But then again, Ms. Granger is a logical person. I would be the best choice because no matter what I threatened, I could never hurt her. This Debt would prevent that. I would be the safest place for her to go." Severus smirked. "I'm not denying she came to me and I'm not saying she did. It's her decision to make. If you would excuse me." Severus dropped the spells around the kitchen and stepped out into the dining room. He carefully made his way over to his seat and leaned over Hermione's shoulder. Sirius had managed to get nearly everyone except Hermione to go into the sitting room.

"You must be getting warm. Let's take that cloak off."

Hermione gave a small gasp of fear. "You think so? I don't know if I'm rea-"

Severus smirked and cut her off. "Remember Tibius MacNair. You are ready for this, Granger." He pulled himself to his full height and watched as Hermione slowly stood up. She made her way over to a secluded corner and Severus followed.

She stopped and reached up with trembling hands to undo the clasp. Severus pushed her hands away gently before undoing the silver serpent clasp himself. He grasped the fabric of the cloak in his hands before he pulled it off of her. He was once again stunned by her appearance. She was a far cry from the girl he had found on his doorstep four and a half months ago. Her skin wasn't as pale and she had a delicate musculature on her frame. Her eyes were brighter and her hair wasn't as dull. The green of her dress made her skin appear to have a rosy hue. She was stunningly beautiful and Severus quickly shrunk his cloak and placed it in his pocket. Hermione grasped his arm and gave it a rather hard squeeze.

"Go out and say hi to your friends. They miss you."

Hermione gave a quick nod. "Okay. I can do this." With those shaky words Hermione stepped out of the shadows and into the light.

* * *

Hermione was shaking in her high heels as Harry stared at her. She felt her resolve waver, and then Severus stepped up behind her. Hermione knew that she wasn't alone and that she would never fall as long as Severus was willing to catch her. She looked at Harry who had murder in his eyes as he looked at Severus.

"I thought you said you didn't see her?"

Hermione looked over her shoulder at the other man who shrugged. "I don't recall saying that. I said '_I'm not denying she came to me and I'm not saying she did. It's her decision to make.' _I wasn't going to tell you. Ms. Granger had to make the decision herself. I wouldn't betray her trust." His face was impassive and neutral but Hermione smiled at him warmly.

"And I thank you for that." She watched as his eyes flicked down to hers briefly. But the one look was enough. She took a deep breath and stepped forward again. "It's good to see you, Harry. I know I have some explaining to do but things are really complicated." Harry just shook his head and walked over before pulling Hermione into a crushing hug. Hermione's eyes closed and she breathed in his familiar scent, her eyes prickling with tears.

"I thought I lost you. You can tell me what happened when you feel ready. I'm just happy you are okay." He let her go and smiled softly at her. Hermione watched as his green eyes turned hard and cold as he looked up at Severus. "How long were you keeping her at your place? The full five months?" Hermione looked over her shoulder at Severus. He sneered down at Harry, his black eyes flashing dangerously.

"I don't see how this is any of your business. That is between Ms. Granger and I. If she wants to tell you then she can. I refuse to betray her trust. So, _don't_ push the issue, Potter." His eyes flickered down to Hermione and she gave him a small smile. She turned back to Harry.

"Harry. He's kept me safe for the past four months. He's a good friend even though he can be a nasty git sometimes." Hermione gave a small chuckle. Her eyes filled with tears as she looked at Harry. "I trust him with my life. I know that with or without this Debt he wouldn't let anything happen to me. I like to think he looks at me as a friend as well." Hermione watched as he looked between her and Severus.

"Snape, is this true?" His tone was slightly disbelieving. Hermione could imagine Severus raising his eyebrow at the question. Several seconds went by without an answer.

"She's a good cook. So, I can overlook her poor attitude and conversational skills." His tone was bland and had a tinge of boredom in it.

An amused smile crossed Hermione's face. "He has such a... _sweet_ disposition." Harry just shook his head but he smiled at Hermione before taking her arm.

"Whatever. If you trust him I guess I can tolerate him." They started walking towards the sitting room doors. "I think we should go tell everyone the good news. Although Ron and Charlie aren't here. They are in Romania for the week." Hermione looked over her shoulder at Severus. She smiled at him and motioned him to come with them. He grimaced but followed. Hermione turned her head just in time to see Harry push open the sitting room door. Hermione took a deep breath and stepped into the large room beside Harry.

All the conversation ceased as soon as they saw her. Hermione felt a small blush climb up her neck. She took in one more deep breath and smiled brightly.

"Hi. I'm back." She looked around the room at all her friend's shocked faces. Luna was the first to move; she stood up from her seat right next to the door and gave Hermione an absent-minded hug.

"Hi, Hermione." Her dreamy sounding voice had barely changed and Hermione nodded as the witch let her go.

"Hello, Luna." With that everyone started talking at once and rushed towards Hermione. She held her ground as people drew her into hugs. The crowded pushed in on her and she felt a slight annoyance at all the attention.

"I don't think it would be all that nice to get Ms. Granger back only to crush her to death in a Gryffindor group hug." Severus' voice was snarky and everyone looked at him, shocked. "Contrary to popular belief, she does need to breath." He sneered at the people and they slowly backed away from Hermione with apologies. She smiled at them and watched as Severus sat in a corner that gave him the view of the whole room. She was pulled into a motherly hug by a teary-eyed Molly Weasley.

"My dear girl! It is so good to see you! Where have you been? We were all worried sick about you." She let Hermione go and looked her over. "You look stunning! But those colors! One would think you are a Slytherin in that dress. I personally would have gone with a red one." Molly wiped her eyes with a handkerchief as she prattled on and Arthur patted her shoulder. He smiled kindly at Hermione.

"It is good to see you, Hermione. I hope you weren't in any trouble."

Hermione shook her head and smiled at the patriarch Weasley. "I was just staying with a friend. I had to get away for a bit." He gave a nod and led Molly away. Hermione was instantly descended upon by the Weasley twins.

"Hey gorgeous!"

"You look absolutely delectable. With that dress-"

"It gives us some rather naughty ideas about a-"

"Slytherin bookworm turned hottie. Want to help-"

"Us fulfill those fantasies?"

Hermione burst out laughing. "No thank you. I'm perfectly fine with keeping my dress on my body and not on your bedroom floor." The twins groaned and smirked at one another.

"Now that's a picture I like."

"Now to figure out how to get her out of the dress." Fred and George looked at her and wiggled their eyebrows suggestively. Hermione shook her head with a smile.

"You guys are horrendous." She pulled them both in for a hug which they returned eagerly before kissing her cheeks simultaneously.

"We know." They spoke the words at the same time before spying Tonks.

Fred winked at Hermione. "Sorry love, but we just have to see this one form Tonks can take." George kissed her hand.

"Don't forget. We want that dress on our bedroom floor." He kissed her hand once more, smiling rakishly. "Sooner rather than later." Hermione shook her head with an amused smile as the two ran off. Ginny rushed over and gave her a large hug.

"Damn you for showing up! For a second there I thought I would be the best looking person here. But then you come in dressed like a Slytherin hottie and all my dreams and plans come crashing down." Ginny's tone was teasing and Hermione smiled at her and hugged her again.

"I've missed that." Hermione let herself be led over to a couch so that Ginny could talk to her. After close to half an hour of catching up on Ginny's life, the red head went to get a drink. Hermione looked around; her head held high, her back straight and her legs crossed at the ankle. Anyone looking at her would probably assume she was a highbred pureblood. Her face was guarded in such a way that she looked slightly bored. All of these things were second nature to the witch. Doing them for three months straight had burned the actions into her mind. Her hands lay still in her lap and she didn't fidget needlessly. Her eyes landed on Severus, who Lupin had managed to corner into a conversation. The couch dipped beside her and Hermione instinctively knew it wasn't Ginny.

"Black, congrats on your return." Hermione slowly took her eyes from Severus to look at the Animagus. He was slumped on the couch as if completely relaxed. He gave her an arrogant smirk.

"Black? That's so cold Hermione, so impersonal. Please, call me Sirius." His shoulder length black hair shimmered in the lamplight and Hermione grudgingly admitted that he was a good looking man. But he wasn't her type. Her type had intense black eyes, a snarky attitude, and a voice as smooth as dark chocolate and twice as wicked. She gave a nod to Sirius.

"Okay, _Sirius_. Why aren't you mingling with your guests?" Her face was blank and gave no other emotion.

"I am. This, right here, is mingling. Besides after four years, you happen to be the most changed. You intrigue me. I want to know what goes on in that pretty little head of yours." He leaned closer to her his brown eyes slightly heated. "I want to know your secrets." Hermione chuckled.

"My secrets would curl your hair and leave you crying 'mommy'." Hermione looked at the grandfather clock that sat across the room. She had only been here for an hour. Her gaze slowly made its way back to Sirius. She locked eyes with him. "I'm not a witch to mess with, Black. Just remember that." Sirius smiled crookedly at her in an attempt to make himself look more appealing to the rather cold witch.

"Getting nasty are we? That tone was so cold I thought I would freeze to death. There's no need to get harsh. I'm just making conversation."

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "You don't just 'make conversation' with witches, Sirius. No, _you_ 'make conversation' hoping to get into their knickers. So, no thank you." Sirius leaned his head back and roared with laughter. Hermione smiled slightly at his reaction. He wiped his eyes and let out another chuckle before smiling at her.

"I guess I'm not trying hard enough. You are a very attractive woman, Hermione. I would be lying if I said I wasn't attracted to you." His brown eyes were definitely heated as he looked at her. Hermione became uncomfortable and leaned away from him slightly.

"That's nice." Hermione's voice was slightly distant and she looked around the room again. Her eyes locked onto Severus, pleading him to at least look at her. Sirius's hand grasped her chin and pulled her face around so that he could look at her.

"Now I've made you uncomfortable. I'm sorry. I won't do anything that you didn't specifically request. I was just stating that you are a beautiful woman and that I find myself attracted to you." He smiled at her and Hermione returned the favour.

"You are a philadropher, Black. And as much as it must pain you, I am not even remotely attracted to you." She smiled slightly to take the sting out of her blunt words. Sirius nodded and his hand dropped. He didn't look all too disappointed.

"I remember. You were gaga over Ron. How are things between you?"

Hermione gritted her teeth looking at the wall across from her. "Non-existent. He's not even a blip on my radar anymore." Sirius nodded as if he understood what was going on.

"So, that gives me a chance to, how did you put it? Make conversation so I can get into your knickers." Sirius chuckled and Hermione, who usually would have blushed at the Animagus' words, just rolled her eyes before looking for Severus once more. She frowned when she spotted his empty chair.

"That's not even a possibility, Black." She looked at him with her chocolate brown eyes glittering like hard stones. "As I said. You just aren't my type. Besides, I already have my sights set on someone else. Now if you would excuse me. I must say goodbye and be off." With that she stood up and tried to make her way through the crowd. She was halfway to the door when Fred and George caged her in, both gave her suggestive winks.

"We are here-"

"To collect your dress." Their arms went around Hermione preventing her escape. She gave a low sigh of frustration and grabbed a rose from the vase nearby. She quickly transfigured it into a replica of her dress and gave it to the twins.

"There you are. My dress. Now, I have to get home. I'm tired." A small smile rested on her face as she looked at the twins. Their faces were slightly awed as they looked at the dress.

"She actually gave it to us." Fred breathed out and George touched the material as if it were the most precious thing in the world.

"She did." George snatched it out of Fred's hands. "I get to wear it first!" Hermione's mouth dropped open.

"_What_?" She watched as the boys tussled over the dress before bursting into laughter. She quickly transfigured another dress. "Okay, stop fighting. Here's another one." Fred took it from her hand with a swift kiss to her cheek.

"Please stay until we get these on. We can be triplets." George winked at her letting her know he was joking. Hermione smirked.

"I promise I won't leave until you both put them on and I get to see you in all your cross-dressing glory." Hermione smiled teasingly and Fred kissed her cheek as well.

"We will be done before you know it and then you can go and rest that pretty head of yours." With that the twins bounded out the door. Hermione crossed her arms over her chest and waited. It took the twins five minutes to make it back down stairs. Her mouth dropped open and she burst into peals of laughter. Fred and George were indeed dressed in the transfigured dresses and they were striking poses.

"How do we look?" Fred batted his eyelashes at Hermione and she gave him a thumbs up.

"Absolutely stunning. Ravishing to tell you the truth." Her chocolate eyes twinkled as she looked at the twins. The green of the dresses made their red hair stand out even more. With their broad shoulders they looked just ridiculous. Hermione eyes fell to their feet and she stifled a giggle. They were wearing high heels and their legs were exceptionally hairy. "I think you should go out there and find yourselves a man." Hermione looked over her shoulder and smirked rather nastily.

"I heard Sirius is available." She turned back to the twins who pretended to twitter behind their hands and act girly.

George batted his eyelashes at her once more. "Do you think he would go for little old me?" His voice was a higher pitch and he giggled. Hermione nodded.

"Oh definitely." She watched with plain amusement as both tottered through the crowd on their high heels acting like complete fools. Several people burst out laughing at them but other than that they were basically ignored. Hermione crossed her arms over her chest and gave a rather Severus-like smirk as she watched them tap Sirius on the shoulder. The tall man turned around and looked at them with wide eyes as they immediately attached themselves to his sides. From the looks of it the twins were praising him heavily and trying to cop a feel. Hermione chuckled and as Sirius looked at her. She gave a smug smile, a small wave, and then walked out the door.

* * *

Severus looked at the people surrounding him. His gaze searched for a certain curly haired witch. His gaze landed on her as she talked with Black. He felt an unexpected burst of hot rage as Black cradled her delicate chin between his fingers as he smiled at her. Severus rose to his feet as soon as the returning smile crossed Hermione's face.

"Have a good night, Lupin. I must be going." His tone was cold and the werewolf nodded.

"I understand. But try to hold your judgement on Sirius, Snape. He's a good man." Lupin looked at him knowingly and Snape shook his head and looked back to the couch, it was empty. He felt a growl creep up in his throat but he tamped it down before escaping into the cold air. Severus looked up at the twinkling stars and narrowed his eyes. He hated that despite everything that had happened to him, he still had the ability to care for someone. That he still had a heart that a woman could tear out after she went to the Marauders. With a small growl Severus spun on his heel and Apperated to Spinner's End.

* * *

Hermione quietly opened the door to Spinner's End and shut it just a quietly. It was close to three in the morning. She had taken a long walk after the party to try and clear her head and figure things out. Hermione looked at the gloomy interior with a sigh. Severus was reminiscing again. He hadn't done that since the day she started training. She slipped off her heels and went up the stairs carefully. She found herself outside of his study the door warded tightly. Hermione frowned with worry and lifted her hand to touch the door, her heart pounding loudly in her chest. Something shattered against the wood of the door. Hermione jumped for the first time in four months and let out a gasp of surprise. She drew back her hand and acting purely on instinct, she ran away from the study and into her room. With one fumbling movement she locked the door and leaned against the cold wood breathing heavily. She didn't know what Severus was playing at but it terrified her.

* * *

The next two days weren't any better than the first few weeks she had spent there. Severus locked himself in lab and Hermione sat at the kitchen table jumping at the sounds of things smashing against the floor or walls. She hated the feeling of being so terrified. She hated jumping at the crashing sounds and the fact that Severus wasn't even trying to talk to her. He would barely see her all day. It wasn't for lack of trying, Hermione had tried everything to try and get him to come out of his study and then his lab but she was getting the cold shoulder. The thought made Hermione narrow her eyes and she stood up abrupt. She_ really_ needed to throw a few punches at the punching bag after meditating first. She really needed to get her focus back. With that Hermione walked out of the kitchen and down into the basement. The silence greeted her ears in an eerie way. It felt unnatural and she shivered as she pushed open the door to the workout room. She started at seeing Severus throwing some rather nasty punches at a life-like golem, which looked kind of like a certain Black, that he had conjured. He glanced at her with narrowed eyes and Hermione stubbornly stuck out her chin before moving behind the thin changing partition.

After changing Hermione moved over to the cushions to meditate. Severus blocked her way. She raised an eyebrow.

"You're acting childish, Snape. Let me go and meditate."

He crossed his arms with a shake of his head. "No, you brought this on yourself, Granger."

Brought what on herself? He hadn't talked to her since the party two nights ago. Hermione went to move around him but he quickly blocked her. She tried once more and he reached to grab her arm and she grabbed the reaching arm, twisted her body and slammed her leg into the back of Severus's knees. He went down and Hermione quickly let go of his arm. She stepped out of his reach, rolled her shoulders and moved her head from side to side, bouncing on the balls of her feet slightly. She stretched while Severus stood up.

"_That_ was dirty Quidditch." He rolled his neck and Hermione smirked as she stretched her arms over her head.

"You would have done the same thing. So, _don't_ give me any of that self-righteous bullshit, you bloody hypocrite." Hermione smiled slightly as she bounced into a defensive position before going still. Hermione stretched her fingers and then pulled her hair back into a ponytail. "Okay. You win. One round, then you have to tell me what has gotten into you." Hermione looked at the annoyed expression that flitted across his face.

"I don't have to tell you anything."

"You don't but you _will _because I will win."

"You _will _win? Getting a big head are you?" Severus went into his defensive position. "I guess I'll have to beat that out of you." Hermione smirked and shrugged rather loosely.

"If you can hit me go ahead." Hermione waited for a second before throwing a rather weak punch. As she suspected Severus grabbed her arm and she grasped his wrist in her hand and spun quickly bringing his body closer before she threw him over her shoulder. He landed with an oof and Hermione quickly dropped his arm and moved backwards. "I always do that. You never seem to learn." She chuckled before his foot stuck out and knocked her to the ground. Hermione pushed up with her arms and jumped to her feet throwing several rather nasty punches that Severus blocked. He retaliated with several kicks, he managed to land one on her thigh and Hermione hissed at the sudden pain.

"You got the first take down, I got the first hit." He smirked at her and went to aim another kick at her and Hermione quickly moved out of the way and punched him in the ribs.

"Second hit is mine." Hermione twirled away from his reaching hands and was taken down when Severus threw himself at her. She landed on the ground painfully with him partially on top of her. He smirked at her.

"Second take down is mine."

Hermione twisted her leg over his and flipped them both. She quickly grabbed his arm and pinned him.

"Yes, but the first pin goes to me. Concede?" Hermione panted out.

"Never." Severus managed to twist his body in a way that made her drop his arm and fall to the mats. She felt the sparks along her right side and she rolled across the mat and to her feet. Severus came at her with a flurry of punches and kicks. Hermione dodged most of them and threw a punch that slammed into his jaw. He staggered and Hermione was quick to return the punches and kicks he had given her. She managed to get one kick on him before he threw his hand back and it caught her cheek and part of her mouth. Hermione quickly moved away trying to keep her balance. She brought up her hand and wiped away a small amount of blood that came from her lip. She smirked.

"First blood, congrats."

Severus smirked. "I always get first blood." Hermione gave a small bow.

"That you do." She quickly feinted to the right and slammed her first into his stomach. He bent over slightly but used her momentum to throw her to the mats. He grabbed her arms and held them in his hands. He straddled her waist and smirked at her as she tried to throw him off.

"I know you can't get out of this one. Ready to concede?"

Hermione smirked before raising her body off the mat slightly and twisting to the right sharply. It unbalanced Severus and she quickly reversed the pin. She straddled his lower back with his face to the mats. She tugged on his arm until he groaned. She flicked her hair from her face with smile.

"No. Are you?" Hermione knew his answer when he easily threw her off. She wasn't very big and the wizard had the advantage of size on her. Hermione quickly got to her feet and aimed a kick at his head. He blocked it and threw her to the mats. He straddled her once again, using his weight to his advantage. He gripped her wrists tightly and slammed them over her head. Severus bent over her panting and Hermione leaned up slightly.

"Concede?" He chuckled at her glare and Hermione shook her head her eyes narrowing. She wasn't about to let the wizard win.

"You know the answer to that." She struggled against his hold and stopped, panting slightly. Severus leaned closer.

"_Now_ do you concede?" His voice was silky and Hermione smirked slightly as she looked into his eyes. They were more open to her now than they had ever been. He was having fun and he knew Hermione knew it. A strange rose urge up in Hermione's chest and she didn't think twice about closing the distance and kissing him softly. He froze and Hermione put a bit of pressure in the kiss, willing him to respond. She pulled back slightly and nearly frowned in disappointment at his apparent lack of reaction, when his lips crashed down on hers. Hermione sat up a bit more and tugged against his hands. He let her go and her hands tangled in his hair, taking the ponytail out in the process. His kiss was fiery and demanding but Hermione gave as good as she got. He pushed her back to the ground and Hermione opened her mouth to deepen the kiss. He gave a low groan that made Hermione smile inwardly. She pulled back from the kiss slightly and pecked his lips again. She smirked.

"I concede." Her voice was low and rough. Severus chuckled slightly before standing up and pulling her to her feet as well.

"Good."

Hermione didn't respond but kissed him hard. He returned it and Hermione was slammed up against the wall. She chuckled into his mouth.

"Someone's still in a bad mood."

Severus growled before kissing her once again. "No, just working out four months of frustration. You are an impertinent wench. Living with you has been a test to my patience." Hermione felt drunk when he kissed her once more and all coherent thought went out of her head. "You're mine, Hermione Granger." Hermione's head was whirling and she managed to form a sentence as his lips traveled down her neck.

"I've always been yours. I've been yours since the day I found myself on your doorstep." Her breathing was turning into gasps as he scraped his teeth across her pulse.

"No one will ever take you away from me." His throaty whisper made Hermione's breathe hitch and made her look around quickly.

"Bedroom. Now." At her words, both did a mad rush to the bedroom pulling off clothing and panting between kisses along the way.

* * *

Nearly two hours later Severus looked down at the sleepy witch beside him. His hand lazily traced the scars on her back and shoulders and she sighed in contentment.

"I bet that beat Black's performance." At his words Hermione raised an eyebrow and rolled over to look at him.

"I wouldn't know." Her words seemed to genuinely puzzle the pale man and Hermione's eyes went wide. "You were jealous of him! I bet you saw him talking to me on the couch after Ginny went to grab me a drink! That's why you were being a total prat!" Severus shook his head at her.

"I wasn't jealous." He sneered at the last word and Hermione laughed.

"Yah you were! You were jealous that he was interested in me." Hermione frowned and then rolled her eyes. "I bet you took this situation back to James and Lily. James took Lily and you thought Black took me!" He winced and Hermione knew she hit it spot on. She laughed loudly and kissed the tip of his nose.

"The only way Black could ever take me away was if he were to kidnap me." Hermione smiled at Severus softly, her brown eyes warm. She touched his stubbled jaw in a faint caress. "He asked me. I'm not going to lie. He told me he was attracted to me and I told him he wasn't my type." Severus wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close.

"And what is your type, Hermione?" An elegant black eyebrow rose and Hermione gave him a rather heated smile.

"My type is a bitter old man with black, slightly greasy hair, a rather large nose and pale skin." Hermione chuckled at his small growl as he narrowed his eyes. "My type of guy survived two wars, has a sense of honour and helped me in my time of need. He taught me all his secrets and it helps that he has a voice that has been the focus of fantasies of woman everywhere." Hermione kissed his slowly at than and she pulled back leaving them both breathless.

"But why would I need fantasies when I have the real thing right here?" She gave a loud laugh as Severus rolled on top of her.

"Exactly, and the real thing is ready and willing just a few inches away." At his words Hermione gave him a sultry look which turned soft and warm a few seconds later.

"I'm yours, Severus. From now until you decide you no longer want me. I'm yours." Hermione nearly cried at the soft look in his eyes as he kissed her softly. It was a heart wrenching kiss that made her chest ache from the love that is held and that it made her feel.

"Then you will be with me for a long time, Hermione. Because I'm not ready to let you go any time soon."

* * *

Hermione and Severus didn't get dressed properly for the next three days until they were forced to by a rather irate Harry Potter banging on the door of the house. Hermione hastily threw on a pair of jeans and a pull over before rushing from the room to open the door, leaving Severus to get dressed properly.

"Harry! How nice to see you! Come in." Hermione was surprised that he cheeks didn't flare up at seeing her best friend after the rather nice 'holiday' her and Severus had. She gave him a quick hug and led him into the kitchen. "Tea? I'm famished, are you hungry?" Hermione bustled around the kitchen and Harry sighed.

"Where have you been? I've been floo calling your flat for days." At his words Hermione stiffened. She slowly turned around.

"I don't live there any more, Harry. I'm staying here, with Severus." Hermione knew her eyes were cold as she looked at her best friend but she couldn't help it as the mask slipped on to her face. Harry grimaced in disgust.

"You're staying with Snape? Hermione you could come stay with me and Gin or even Ron! I know you-"

"Don't you _dare _say his name in my presence again!" Hermione was slightly surprised at the amount of venom in her voice. Harry jerked back and looked at her carefully.

"Are you okay, Mione? Snape hasn't tried anything has he? What has got you on edge?" Harry frowned at her and Hermione drug a hand through her hair.

"Severus has tried anything that I've disagreed to and nothing has me on edge except this conversation. Can we just drop it?" Hermione managed to paste a smile on her face as she looked at her friend. "Why have you been trying to get a hold of me?" Harry sent her a sideways glance.

"Gin was wondering if you would come for a visit. She says there is a bunch of stuff she needed to discuss with you." He looked at her expectantly and Hermione gave a rather jerky nod.

"I'm free next week or the week after. I'll have to work out the details but I'll let you know." She smiled at him tightly and Harry gave her a nod.

"Okay. So how are things with you?" Harry looked at her expectantly and Hermione smirked.

"Great. I met the greatest guy a few days ago. We've decided to just jump into a relationship and everything is going smoothly." Hermione smirked at Harry's puzzled face.

"Careful, Hermione. If you make him guess any more I'm sure his brain will short circuit and burst into flames." Severus stated as he walked into the kitchen and kissed Hermione softly. Harry let out a choked gasped.

"But.. Snape- and.. and Snape-you and and… You and Sn-snape?" Harry stuttered it out and Hermione shrugged.

"Yes, Severus and I are in a relationship. I'll explain when I come over to see Gin next week." Hermione's smirk grew wider as Harry's eyes went wide as Severus brushed his hand across her bottom deliberately. She rolled her eyes before holding out a cup towards Harry. "Tea?"

* * *

"I honestly don't want to be here, Hermione." Severus looked at the Burrow with a grimace and Hermione smiled.

"I know. But you'll do it for me." Hermione gave a small yelp as he pinched her bottom. "Hey! No underhanded tricks there, Mr. Snape. I have my eyes on you!" Severus chuckled but escorted her into the Burrow anyway. Ginny rushed over and practically jumped on Hermione who laughed loudly. Severus rolled his eyes and moved over to talk to Arthur.

"Harry told me you were dating Snape? Is it true? I mean the man has such a great voice. I mean at Hogwarts, whenever he yelled at me I nearly orgas-" Her words were cut off as Hermione slammed her hand over her friend's mouth.

"Too much information, Ginny!" Hermione chuckled as Ginny muttered her apology into her hand. Hermione let the hand drop and she shook her head with a smile.

"So is he any good in the sack? I mean with a nose that big he must be packing down under, if you know what I mean." Ginny wriggled her eyebrows and Hermione chuckled.

"Well he certainly is packing and wow in the sack. We were at it for days, he's insatiable." Hermione smirked at Ginny's expression. She looked just horrified. Hermione looked over her shoulder. "Hello, Severus. Couldn't be without me for a few minutes?" Severus looked down at her with a carefully guarded expression.

"I'm insatiable? I'm positive that when I wanted to sleep you were crawling all over me like some sort of four legged creature." He raised an eyebrow and Hermione gave him a rather naughty smirk.

"I guess next time I'll have to purr to get the point across." Hermione kissed him on the lips lightly and he gave her a low chuckle.

"As long as you don't bring out your claws, I'll be fine." He stepped closer and grasped her bottom gently as he looked at Ginny. Hermione gave it a small wiggle. "Ginerva. I'll leave you two, to your talk." Hermione kissed him once more and he squeezed her bottom gently, unnoticed by the others in the room. Hermione turned back to Ginny with a smile.

"See? He's an animal." Hermione chuckled as Ginny winked at her.

"From what I heard you where the animal. Growl." Ginny clawed the air playfully and Hermione chuckled.

"What can I say? He brings out my wild side." Hermione let Ginny lead her into the dining room along with everyone else. Severus claimed one side of her immediately and Ginny took her other side as the Weasley's passed down dishes. They ate amongst the chatter when the dining room door was thrown open. Hermione looked up with everyone else and saw that the doorway held a familiar red head of hair. Both Hermione and Snape grimaced.

"Weasley." Their two tones seemed to mix together. One a baritone and the other a feminine alto. Both tones were smooth and dangerously calm. Ron's eyes went wide at the sight of Hermione before narrowing.

"What the fuck are you doing here? I thought you were dead." His face was slowly turning red as he looked at her.

"And you tried so hard to make it that way, didn't you. But oops, you left the front door unlocked. Silly you." Hermione felt an angry flush travel up her neck and she tamped the emotion down not wanting to lose focus.

"You were bleeding; you had lost too much blood to do anything. How did you escape? Did you get help? Did you drag your useless carcass out the front door?" He moved closer to her, his face red with anger, his blue eyes cold. Hermione gave a dry laugh.

"I ran, Ronald. And I ran as far away as I could. And look, you couldn't catch me. Because I'm still _breathing_." She hissed the last word and her wand hand twitched. She showed considerably more control than she would have six months ago. Training with Severus had certainly helped with her patience.

"A mistake I would give anything to rectify." He went to pull out his wand and Hermione took advantage of his slow draw and with one flick of her hand she caught hers as it fell out of her sleeve. She rose to her feet just as quickly. Her black wand pointed at Ronald's chest. She looked over to be surprised with Severus's wand also pointed at the red head. Both wands unwavering as their wielders stood in absolute calm.

"That is your second mistake, Ronald. Are you willing to make another one?" Her voice was calm and even while silence fell around them.

"What's going on?" Harry's voice sounded confused and Hermione ignored him, her eyes on Ronald, willing him to make a move.

"I'm going to dispose of her as I should have six months ago." Ronald's voice was filled with malice and Hermione smirked.

"Not if I get there first, Ronald Billius Weasley." Hermione smirked slightly. "How's Draco treating you?" Several people gasped at that and Ron's wand trembled in anger.

"Don't go there you frigid bitch! Draco is a great man! I see that now!" His blue eyes were furious and Hermione waved her hand flippantly.

"And Mudbloods are bad and purebloods are good. Been there done that. Boring." Hermione shrugged. "You're just angry because you weren't enough of a man to kill me when you had the chance. That was your first mistake, Ronald. You left me alive. I suggest we take this little game outside before we destroy your mother's china." Her smile was feral and Snape placed a hand on her lower back to let her know he was still beside her. The curly haired witch moved deliberately towards the red head, who backed up rather quickly, wanting to keep distance between them. Hermione watched as he stumbled down the front steps. She waited patiently until he made his move.

"Sectumsempr-" He barely had the spell off before a burst of yellow canaries flew from Hermione's wand and attacked him viciously.

"I have thought of this day often, Ronald." Hermione stated calmly as she stepped off the porch. "I've thought of all the ways I would make you pay. I've thought of all the painful ways I wanted you to suffer." She felt Severus a few feet behind her for support as she walked towards Ron who managed to beat off the small birds. He looked at her with rage filled blue eyes.

"Crucio!" He bellowed the curse and Hermione twirled once and threw up a shield that deflected the curse from the house and away from the people. She never once faltered in her steps as she advanced on the red head.

"Expelliarmus!" Hermione knew he would block it so she sent a silent stupefy which slammed into him just as he blocked the expelliarmus. Hermione watched as the red head flew backwards and slam into the ground. She walked towards him and sent a silent disarming spell and his wand landed in her hand with in a second. She stood over the man who had tortured her for weeks. She looked at the man who tried to kill her and could only see the boy he once was. He looked terrified as her wand pointed at his head.

"I'm not like you, Ronald. It's not that I can't take your life… It's that I won't." Hermione shook her head, raised his wand and shocked everyone as she shouted a spell that was considered too dark to be written down. "Morsemordre!" She watched as the green skull and snake burst across the sky.

"Go to jail for your sins, Ronald. I refuse to get a low as you did and dispose of you myself." Hermione tossed his wand, still smoking from the cursed mark she sent up before she spun around and walked towards Severus.

"Avada Kedavra!" The spell was shouted from behind her and Hermione's eyes went wide as Severus became a mere blur, and then she was flying above the burrow. She shivered as she looked at the dark mark that spread across the sky. Severus kissed her forehead as they flew down towards the ground. Aurors were already apperating in to apprehend the person who set off the dark mark. Hermione watched them convene on Ronald. She shook her head and wrapped her arms around Severus and breathed in his scent.

"Take me home, Severus." She gave him a teary-eyed smile. "Just get me away from here." He nodded and Hermione felt breathless as they flew through the sky. The countryside flew below them quickly and Hermione buried her face into Severus's neck and sighed. This was far from over.

* * *

A blonde man smiled nastily.

"Watch this." He turned towards a bloody faced curly haired woman. He shoved up his sleeves and roughly grasped her face. He looked at her with a laugh. "Look at her, Ron. Pathetic. Useless." He brought his fist down and the sound of flesh hitting flesh could be heard clearly. The curly haired woman slammed against the wall at the force of the blow and the chains on her wrists went taunt as she slumped down the wall unconscious.

"Take the camera, mate! Let me have a go."

There was a sound of fumbling before a red haired man entered the frame. He rolled up his sleeves with a flourish. He smirked at the camera his blue eyes dancing with mirth.

"Let's see… Enervate." At the spell the woman woke up with a painful gasp and tried to stand. The red head's fist slammed into her cheek and her head snapped to the side, letting out a deep groan of pain she tried to remain standing. "You can't stand until I tell you to." His fist connected with her face once again and the beating continued for the next few minutes. The sounds of flesh slamming into flesh and the occasional low pain filled groan filled the room.

"Hey, mate. Hand me that knife." The red head looked past the camera and smiled as a flash of silver entered the picture. The dagger was long and razor sharp. The blonde laughed as the red haired man walked over to the unconscious woman. "Hello darling. Miss me?" The curly haired woman struggled to lift her head.

"Kill me… please… kill me." Her face was bruised and swollen and covered with blood. Her voice was rough and pain filled.

"Kill you? But I'm having so much fun! You hear this Draco? The Mudblood wants to die. I think I can give her half of what she wants." His blue eyes stared straight into the camera as a cruel smile crept across his face. His face turned and with a laugh he stabbed the dagger deep into the woman's shoulder. A hoarse scream erupted from the split lips of the woman as the red head drug the knife through her shoulder, leaving a large laceration that sprayed blood across him and the camera. Loud laughter filled the room.

"Oh! It's on the camera!" The red dripped down the screen, leaving little trails of bright red. "The blood hit the camera." The fumbling sound was heard once more and the screen went dark for a second before showing the roof of the room and the face of the blonde. Red streaks ran through the screen.

"Good enough." The blonde smirked at the camera before it was shuffled around once more. "Take it, Ron. Let me have a go." The camera was fumbled around and then focused on the woman once more. She was turned around facing the wall and the chains had been tightened so that she hung off the ground by her wrists. The blonde walked over and lifted up the back of her shirt.

"She needs a couple more love marks here." He smirked at the camera before a whip materialized in his hand. He stepped just out of the camera's picture. The whip was visible as he shook it out. "How many lashes this time? I'm thinking until she screams." With that the whip was cracked across her back and she let out a low groan as she tried to move away from the blonde. He laughed and cracked the whip once more.

Hermione flinched at each sound of the whip crack. Her scars ached as she watched the video Malfoy and Ronald had made of them torturing her. The Wizagmont chamber was silent as they watched her be beaten and tortured within an inch of her life. Hermione closed her eyes against the image hanging above their heads but she heard everything clearly. She flinched again and again. A warm, rough hand grasped hers.

"It's okay. I'm here." Severus looked down at her with carefully guarded eyes. His face looked pained as he heard her torture.

"I know… it's just I can't believe they actually taped themselves doing this." Hermione felt her stomach churn and she buried her face into Severus's arm. The video was stopped and the lights turned on and the room remained silent for a few tense moments.

"Based upon the evidence that has been found and submitted. We find the defendants, Draco Abraxas Malfoy, and Ronald Billius Weasley, guilty of torture, assault, attempted murder, kidnapping, the use of dark magic, and willful disregard for the life of one Miss Granger. The use of and Unforgivable alone is a life sentence in Azkaban. But the amount of crimes and the types of crimes that have been committed are horrendous. We sentence Draco Abraxas Malfoy to be Kissed tomorrow at sunrise and we sentence Ronald Billius Weasley to be Kissed tomorrow at noon. Case adjourned." The crowd erupted into a flurry of activity and Ronald and Malfoy fought against the chains holding them to the chairs. Hermione felt a breath of relief leave her body. Severus gathered her close.

"It's over now, Hermione. You are free." At his words Hermione burst into tears for the first time in nearly five months. He rubbed her back soothingly and led her out the back exit so the press wouldn't bother her. Hermione breathed in his scent and let out a sigh. It was finally over.

"Hmmm… Sev-rus go back to sleep." Hermione muttered it into the pillow and Severus chuckled but continued to trace her scars with the tips of his fingers.

"You've stolen something from me, Hermione Jean Granger." He kissed her bare shoulder and Hermione rolled over to face him. Her tired brown eyes taking him in carefully.

"And what's that, Severus?" She gave a yawn and Severus grasped her hand gently before putting it right above his heart.

"You've stolen this." He watched her and Hermione felt the steady beat against her hand. "You've stolen my heart and I don't want it back." Hermione smiled sleepily and nuzzled her nose against his neck.

"That's okay… you've taken mine too." Hermione let out a happy sigh. "Keep me safe, Sev-rus… don't let… me go…" She closed her eyes and was soon breathing deeply as she slept. Severus kissed her lips gently before holding her close.

"I won't fail you, love. I promise that as long as my heart keeps beating for you, I'll never let anyone hurt you. I'll never let you go. I love you." His black eyes looked at her tenderly before he too closed his eyes and slipped into sleep.

* * *

Awww! Isn't that the cutest? I want someone to tell _me_ that! But we don't always get what we want. And the only thing I cuddle with is Benny... my pillow. And yes I named my pillow but it had to do with this creepy guy and him getting all up in my personal space and so yah... But tell me what you think of my story... or what you think about Benny. I'm sure he would love the reviews! Benny gives you fluffly cuddles while I blow you kisses!


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